I am a regular customer with Easirent and recently paid £119.54 to hire a car from Manchester airport. When I arrived to collect it, I was told that, as I had hired cars for more than 90 days the previous year, I had to take out excess insurance costing £231, even though I had annual cover with insurance4carhire.
When I asked to see proof of my rental history the clerk told me he couldn’t show me, so I had no immediate alternative but to pay up.
On my return, I checked my records for the previous 12 months and found I hadn’t hired for more than 90 days during this period.
I asked for a refund of the £231, and, although Easirent’s reply acknowledged it had made a mistake, it refused. I escalated my complaint to the regional manager but have heard nothing. Now it shows as “case closed” online. DS Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Easirent’s logic would be comic if it didn’t come at such a high cost.
In his response to your complaint, the depot manager confirmed that you had not hired for more than 90 days last year after all, but that since your latest car hire had already happened it would not return the wrongly charged premium.
It gets worse. When I contacted the press office, Easirent discovered compulsory excess insurance shouldn’t have been charged, even if you had hired for more than 90 days. “It appears, on this occasion, the member of staff has misinterpreted the policy,” it says.
“Easirent is a short-term car rental company, so restricts the number of days a customer can rent in a 12-month period. This has nothing to do with a customer taking any additional insurance.”
Not that it would have refunded you the premium if you had not turned to the media.
You’ve now received £231 – an extra token would have been nice to acknowledge the hassle – and an assurance that staff in Manchester will receive “more training with immediate effect”.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions
